Thoughts on video card for mom

[sakage.shinga]

Hi guys,

So my dad just bought my mom a desktop computer (Asus V3-PH5), which has Pentium dual core (lol) processor with 3gb ram. It didn't come with a graphics card, so watching HD content (720p upwards) is a bit laggy. I'm going to buy her a video card to fix this problem, but I need help choosing which one.

Right now, I've got it limited down to three cards, all from XFX
1. Radeon HD 5550 550MHz 1gb DDR2
2. Radeon HD 5450 650MHz 1gb DDR2
3. Radeon HD 4670 750 MHz 1gb DDR2

The prices of these cards are about the same within a $10 margin, but my mom always get upset when we spend money on things we don't need...haha

My mom won't be playing any games at all except maybe...well...nvm, she won't be playing any games (worth mentioning) PERIOD. However she does plan on getting a blu-ray drive in the near future when prices drop, and she'll definitely be watching a lot of 1080p trailers + youtube videos in the interim. With all this in mind, which card would you get for her?

Thanks so much!

[ultraman7k]

lol welcome to HWC.

pretty sure I answered your post on CDC. haha.

[_dangtx_]

how about a 210 or so from nv?

you can make good use of cuda to play your high rez movies :)

[sakage.shinga]

Haha yes, I did post this on Canucks board, too. And I'll be taking your advice on the GT210. Thanks!

[Stock]

I'd settle for the 5450. It's only $30 and will do everything she wants. It's just better value than the 210!

Here's a review comparison.

[LarkStarr]

absolutely, the 5450 would be the best choice out of the lot.

[coleo]

would a ram upgrade not help the onboard?

[Stock]

For watching videos and general internet use, 2GB of RAM is enough. The onboard graphics is probably just weaker/slower at rendering HD videos, hence the stutters.

[proxy]

I'll toss in a vote for the HD5450 as the best card for the price as well. Have an XFX 512MB version for $30 in an HTPC and works beautifully for HD playback.

[jcmaz]

How bout GT210 by MSI for $20 + MIR in the NCIX sale email???